The project aims to study the involvement of both adrenal and hepatic metabolism in the response of mice to stress. Strains of mice are chosen which have differences in NADPH availability in the liver and in adrenal cholesterol ester levels. The response of the adrenal to stress in terms of the output of corticosterone is also different between strains. The NADPH availability of the liver has been shown to respond acutely to stress in a strain-dependent fashion. The interrelationships of these various metabolic parameters will be studied by in vitro and in vivo methods and will be facilitated by making interstrain comparisons and using the techniques of genetic analysis.